Box-car.



- I PATENTEDDEGJB, 1906.

w. H. EMERIGK & H. A. BUNDY.

BOX GAR. APPLICATION FILED 21.27.1900.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ru: NORRIS PETERS cm, v/ASNIIVG CN, n. c.

PATENTED DEG.18,.19 06.

W.- H-. EMERIGK & *HQA. BUNDY.

BOX OAR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27'. 1906.

- 2 sums-81mm 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. EMERICK AND HENRY A. BUNDY, OF OSAWATOMIE, KANSAS.

BOX-CAR.

Specification bf Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed September 27, 1906. Serial No 336,448.

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. EMER- IOK and HENRY A. BUNDY, citizens of the United States, residing in Osawatomie, in the county of Miami and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Box-Cars, of which the following is a specificatlon.

.Our invention relates to improvements in box-cars.

Considerable difficulty has been experienced in box-cars heretofore in use from the tendency of the middle portion of the car to cant to one side and also to skew or get out of square at the upper or roof portion of the car body, especially in the large long car-bodies of extra height, such as are used for ship ment of furniture and other articles, and as this difficulty is one which when once started increases or becomes aggravated rapidly it frequently endangers the car or the train in passing tunnels or bridges or other trains on closely-adjacent tracks, and after the up er or roof portion of the car-framework ecomes once canted out of plumb or skewed out of square it is difficult to effectually right it and prevent recurrence of the same difliculty.

The object of our invention is to provide a box-car body of a simple, efficient, strong, and durable construction by means of which these difficulties or objections may be entirely overcome and the canting of the carbody and skewing of the upper or roof portion of the car-frame effectually prevented and by means of which old box-car bodies which are canted out of plumb or skewed out of square may be cheaply and easily righted and effectually held from again canting or skewing.

Our invention consists in the means we employ to practically accomplish this object or resultthat is to say, it consists in a boxcar body of any suitable or well-known construction and having the customary upright side posts, end posts, side plates, end plates, and carlines, with the end posts and end plates trussed, as usual, to prevent canting of the car-body at the ends thereof, in providing the car-roof framework at the middle portion thereof with ayoke supported by suitable hangers under the middle carline and which is connected to the side or top plates by adjustable brace-rods and two sets of adjustable truss-rods, one set extending from said central yoke to one end of the car and the other set extending from said central yoke to the other end of the car, each set preferably consisting of three truss-rods, one extending to the middle of the end late and the other two extending diagonal y to the ends thereof or to the corners of the car, two diagonal truss-rods of each set being preferably secured at the corners of the car to anchor-straps attached to the side plates and end plates by suitable bolts.

Our invention also consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown or described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box-car body embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a detail bottom view of the car-roof frame. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail pers ective View looking from the under side of t e roofframe, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail perspective views showing modified constructions of the central yoke.

In the drawings, A represents a box-car body having the customary upright side posts B and end posts B, furnished with the usual diagonal trusses or braces C to prevent the end posts from canting out of plumb, and having also the customary side or top plates D, end plates D, and carlines (l, constituting the roof-frame, the middle carline d being preferably furnished with reinforcements d, secured thereto by bolts (P.

F is a central yoke, preferably of rectangular form with curved ends, which is supported under the middle portion of the car-roof by suitable hangers f, preferably secured to the middle reinforced carline d d by suitable bolts f. The hangers f embrace or sup ort the yoke in such manner as to admit of 0th longitudinal and lateral movement or adjustment of the yoke. The yoke is laterally ad justed and held rigidly from lateral movement in any position to which it is adjusted by means of two opposing pairs of adjustable brace-rods G G, one pair G extending from the yoke to one end plate and the opposing pair G extending from the yoke to the opposite side plate. Each of the brace-rods G G preferably extend through both side members or limbs f of the yoke F, so that the brace-rods will more effectually aid in supporting the yoke. Each of the brace-rods G G is preferably furnished with screw-threads g at each end and with nuts 9, by means of IIO which the position of the central yoke may be adjusted laterally, as may be required.

H and H are two sets or groups of trussrods, one set extending from the central yoke to one, end of the car-roof frame and the other set extending from the central yoke to the other end of the car-roof frame and eachset preferably composed of two diagonal truss-rods h, extending to the corners, and a longitudinal truss-rod 72,, extending to the middle, of the end plate D. The two diagonal truss-rods h of each set are preferably connected to the corners of the car-roof frame by anchor straps or plates K, which are connected to the side plate D and end plate D by bolts K, the anchor-plates bridging the corners, so as to leave room for the nuts b of the truss-rods h. The truss-rods h' h are each preferably furnished with screw" threads 7L3 at each end thereof, the nuts 7L4 at the inner end of the truss-rods connecting them to the yoke.

By means of the laterally and longitudinally movable central yoke and the lateral or transversely-extending brace -rods and the longitudinally and diagonally extending truss-rods the framework of the box-car body is very greatly strengthened at its upper or roof portion and effectually prevented from canting out of lumb at its middle portion and also from s iewing in a horizontal plane out of square, and if at any time the car-body, through extraordinary strain thereon or other cause, gets in any way out of plumb or out of square it can by means of our invention be easily and cheaplyrighted by simply adjusting the truss and brace rods or loosening those on one side and tightening those on the other, as may be required, and by means of our invention old cars which may be very badly canted out of plumb or skewed out of square may be readily and cheaply righted and strengthened by simply applying thereto our adjustable yoke and transversely-extending bracerods and longitudinally and diagonally extending truss-rods, which when once applied will effectually hold the car-framework in its righted position and prevent further canting or skewing.

The diagonal and longitudinal truss-rods h h are preferably connected at intervals to the carlines by hangers M, so that any weight suspended from the truss-rods will not exert any undue strain upon the yoke, anchorplates, and car-frame.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5 the central yoke F is formed of two plates secured together, having flanged ends and enibracing between them a third plate having loops at each end with holes therein to re ceive the longitudinal truss-rods and the flanged ends having holes to receive the diagonal truss-rods.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 6 the construction of the yoke is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 2, excepting that I the yoke is formed of four plates secured together instead of in one iece and the two side members of the yoke eing adjustable to and from each other to give a greater or less spread or width to the yoke, as may be desired.

We claim- 1. In a box-car, the combination with diagonally-trussed upright end posts, and the side plates, end plates and carlines, of a laterally and longitudinally adjustable central yoke supported under the middle carline, two pair of brace-rods extending from said yoke to the side plates,- and two sets or groups of truss-rods, one set extending from said central yoke to each end of the car, and each set comprising two diagonal truss-rods extending to the corners of the car-roof frame, and a longitudinal rod connected to the end plate, substantially as specified.

2. In a box-car, the combination with the side plates, end plates and carlines of the roofframe, of a central yoke, transversely-extending brace-rods connected to the side plates at the middle portion thereof, longitudinally-extending truss-rods connecting said yoke with the end plates, and diagonally-extending truss-rods connecting said yoke with the four corners of the car-roof frame, sub stantially as specified.

3. In a box-car, the combination with the, side plates, end plates and carlines of the roofframe, of a central yoke, transversely-extending brace-rods connected to the side plates at the middle portion thereof, longitudinally extending truss rods connecting said yoke with the end plates, diagonally-extending truss-rods connecting said yoke with the four corners of the car-roof frame, and anchor-straps connecting the end plates and side plates at the corners, said diagonal trussrods extending through said anchor-plates, substantially as specified.

4. In a box-car, the combination with the side plates and end plates of the car-roof frame, of a central yoke, adjustable bracerods connecting said yoke with the side plates, and diagonal adjustable truss-rods extending from said yoke to the corners of the car-frame, substantially as specified.

5. In a box-car, the combination with the side plates and end plates of the car-roof frame, of a central yoke, adjustable bracerods connecting said yoke with the side plates, diagonal adjustable truss-rods extending from said yoke to the corners of the car-frame, and longitudinal truss-rods exsubstantially as specified.

6. In a box-car, the combination with the side plates and end plates of the car-roof frame, of a central yoke, adjustable bracerods connecting said,yoke with the side plates, diagonal adjustable truss-rods extending from said yoke to the end plates,

tending from said yoke to the corners of the car-frame, and hangers supporting said yoke from the carline, substantially as specified.

7. In a box-car, the combination with the side plates and end plates of the car-roof frame, of a central yoke, adjustable bracerods connecting said yoke With the side plates, diagonal adjustable truss-rods eX- tending from said yoke to the corners of the car-frame, longitudinal truss rods extending from said yoke to the end plates, and hangers supporting said yoke from the carline, substantially as specified.

8. In a box-car, the combination With the side plates and end plates, of anchor-straps connected to said side plates and end plates, at the corners, a central yoke, transverselyextending brace rods connecting said yoke with the side plates, and diagonal truss -rods connecting said yoke With the anchor-plates at the four corners of the car-roof frame, substantially as specified.

9. In a box-car, the combination with the side plates and end plates, of anchor-straps connected to said side plates and end plates at the corners, a central yoke, transverselyextending brace-rods connecting said yoke with the side plates, diagonal truss-rods connecting said yoke with the anchor-plates at the four corners of the car-roof frame, and longitudinal truss-rods connecting said yoke with the middle portions of the end plates, substantially as specified.

10. In a box-car, the combination with the side plates and end plates, of anchor-straps connected to said side plates and end plates at the corners, a central yoke, transverselyextending brace-rods connecting said yoke With the side plates, diagonal truss-rods connecting said yoke with the anchor-plates at the four corners of the car-roof frame, longitudinal truss-rods connecting said yoke With the middle portions of the end plates, said truss-rods and brace-rods havin means for gdjiusting the same, substantially as speci- 11. In a boX-car,'the combination With the side plates and end plates, of anchor-straps connected to said side plates and end plates at the corners, a central yoke, transverselyextending brace-rods connecting said yoke with the side plates, diagonal truss-rods connecting said yoke With the anchor-plates at the four corners of the car-roof frame, longitudinal truss-rods connecting said yoke With the middle portions of the end plates, said truss-rods and brace-rods having means for adjusting the same, and hangers connecting the truss rods and yoke With a central carline, substantially as specified.

12. The combination With a car-roof side plates and end plates, of a'central yoke and diagonal adjustable truss-rods extending from said central yoke to the corners of the car-roof frame, substantially as specified.

WVILLIAINI H. EMERICK. HENRY A. BUNDY.

WVitnesses to the signature of William H. Emerick:

PETER AL UIsT, H. M. MUNDAY. Witnesses to the signature of Henry A. Bundy:

N. B. CnAMBERs, A. W. BARNES. 

